I recently walked half of the Two Moors Way over four days. Before leaving home I decided to change two items of equipment hoping that my walking experience would be enhanced. I was wrong!
This is only about me and my body, it's not a criticism of the products, it's just I think how each item affects me.
I normally wear Sorbothane boot inserts and I haven't had a blister for some time. I decided that I would make a change and this time use my pair of Superfeet's, which I always use in my off-road running shoes. They are well worn in, shaped to my feet and have always given me a very comfortable running experience.
Within a couple of hours of walking on a Dartmoor track, I knew I had a blister! Upon examination, the blister was on my inside right foot arch, in line with the edge of the Superfeet insert. I then realised why this had happened. A while ago, using trial and error, I worked out that my right foot tended to lean inwards by a few degrees. To counter this tilt I always wore a 1" length of an old shoe insert under my Sorbothane, which tilted my foot into a 90 degree position and of course from then on, no blisters.
I fitted in my Superfeets but forgot to put the 1" insert in. When I looked I could see clearly where my foot was rubbing on the Superfeet edge. Such a small error on my part and I paid the penalty. I managed to come up with a fix. I carry a small notebook with a plastic cover so I cut off a 2" x 1" strip of the plastic, folded it longways, placed it under the Superfeet, at the blister point, crossed my fingers and walked on. In the morning I soon noticed that the blister was no longer an issue and caused no further problems, comfortable walking all of the way.
I also own a khaki Craghopper hiking shirt, it was recommended by the Great Outdoors at the time and it was not expensive. Its well made, two chest pockets, one inner zipped, with snap tags to keep the sleeves rolled up and so on. I've only ever worn it once a couple of winters ago and it worked well in the cooler weather but I never did like the colour!
I decided I must wear it so took it with me to Devon and wore it for the whole of the second day. It was sunny, hot, then a couple of showers, hot again, a period of drizzle, you know, one of those sort of days! When I took it off at night, it felt damp and clammy and I assumed it would soon dry, after all its a Craghopper hiking shirt!. In the morning I noticed that as I packed it in my rucksack it still felt damp and clammy. That didn't seem to change much, I never wore it again, it still felt the same on day three, only less so. I'll not use it for hiking again, my other shirt, I can wear it for a whole day and within a short while it's as dry as a bone! I have a third hiking shirt, another brand, once it too soaks in perspiration it just never seems to dry properly. I don't use this one either.